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Duty and Desire

A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman

Baker & TaylorA second installment of the series that began with An Assembly Such as This retells Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's perspective and follows his private struggles to shake off his feelings for Elizabeth after dissuading Bingley from wooing Jane, a period during which he visits an old classmate from Oxford and is pursued by husband-hunting society ladies. Reprint. 60,000 first printing.

Simon and Schuster³There was little danger of encountering the Bennet sisters ever again.²

Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?

Pamela Aidan's trilogy finally answers that long-standing question, creating a rich parallel story that follows Darcy as he meets and falls in love with Elizabeth Bennet. Duty and Desire, the second book in the trilogy, covers the "silent time" of Austen's novel, revealing Darcy's private struggle to overcome his attraction to Elizabeth while fulfilling his roles as landlord, master, brother, and friend.

When Darcy pays a visit to an old classmate in Oxford in an attempt to shake Elizabeth from his mind, he is set upon by husband-hunting society ladies and ne'er-do-well friends from his university days, all with designs on him -- some for good and some for ill. He and his sartorial genius of a valet, Fletcher, must match wits with them all, but especially with the curious Lady Sylvanie.

Irresistibly authentic and entertaining, Duty and Desire remains true to the spirit and events of Pride and Prejudice while incorporating fascinating new characters, and is sure to dazzle Austen fans and newcomers alike.

As of right now I couldn't even finish the book. I had taken a long break between the first and the second novels and had forgotten Pamela's rendition of one of my favorite characters..... I don't know if I'll give it another try in the future.

This is the second book in a trilogy. It is Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view. The first book (An Assembly Such as This) was pretty good, and the third (These Three Remain) was okay, but this one wasn't nearly as good. It covers the time between Darcy leaving Netherfield and going to Kent. The first half of the book is fine, as it covers his relationship with Georgiana. The second half, however, is a waste of paper.